思い変える力を持とう

Do Not Be Afraid to Change Your Way of Thinking

Nisshu Ushio

Head Monk

Shoho Jimon Hokke Sect Shishiozan Myohoji

I read an enlightening story, “Looking into My Heart: Don't Think about Something You Don't Need To”. The author of the story is Mr. Mori. His wife fell into a critical condition hovering between life and death due to a cerebral hemorrhage. She survived, but the right half of her body became paralyzed. Although she returned home, she still suffers from aphasia as well as paralysis, and is confined to a wheelchair. I have met her a few times. Before her hemorrhage, she seems like a courageous and cheerful woman who was an excellent cook and frequent entertainer. I also remember how bright and kind she was.

For Mr. Mori, she is an irreplaceable partner, so I assumed these two years he has spent taking care of her must have been like being in a dark cold tunnel. However, he states, “The right side of her body is taking a rest for a while, but she can do things with her left hand, which is good.” He has no grief over her circumstances, but rather a genuine kindness and tries to lead her to the hope of tomorrow. The story touched me deeply.

In one of his summaries he stated, "I will think hard and try every possibility if there is a slight hope of changing things in a positive way, but there are things that cannot be helped." After suffering with her through her pains and worries, he began to accept the facts as they were. This is called “Tennan Tanpaku” in Buddhism, the state of having a clear feeling of no regrets or perplexity. Each of us encounters difficulties that others cannot understand, but if we are immersed in negative feelings, only hardships remain. Mr. Mori overcame his sorrow by changing his way of thinking.

The capacity of changing one’s mind is required in many situations, such as breaking up in relationships, losing a family member, suffering a setback to one's dream, encountering difficulties in human relationships, or feeling agony over not being able to have the things one desires. Hope-filled youth passes away instantly, and hardships lie in front of us, but we must not let depression defeat us. We must mold our own destiny.

When Buddha was a prince, he lived comfortably in a palace; however, he couldn’t find joy or meaning of life in the place; treasures, fame or honor meant nothing to him. After experiencing four anxieties of life called “Shorobyoshi” (birth, aging, disease and death), he became a monk and attained enlightenment under a Bo tree. All the lives of nature are kept alive by the life of the universe, which is immutable. We must accept things as they are even if it were under the conditions of torrid heat or heavy rain. Buddha turned his attention to the supple strength of plants, and scrutinized his distracted malicious laws of idea and let the devil, the cause of sorrow and agony, surrender. This is a law of the spirit to change one’s mind in a positive way.

Various thoughts appear in our hearts. People sometimes get overcome with indignation, succumb to grief, and get caught up in voluptuous desires. We can be evil by hiding our emotions and waiting for an opportunity to harm someone or can be as kind as a heavenly maiden. Anger, jealousy and animosity are wicked, and benevolence and wisdom are merciful. Wickedness and mercy fight furiously in our hearts, but we are taught that we gain peacefulness only by winning over the evil spirit. In order not to nourish our anxiety, we need to change our way of thinking. We need to gain strength to overcome difficulties. We need to release ourselves from negative ideas. Stop grieving about the misfortunes in life, and find the way to make yourself feel at ease. Buddha unified his heart that once sunk in nothingness and despair and was able to achieve a state of peace and tranquility.

   Sometimes the matter gets out of one's hands, and there is nothing one can do about it no matter how strong the desire. Exasperation and irritation are kindled by anger over those things that do not work out as planned. Displaying dissatisfaction against others also aggravates the spirit. The evil law within certainly consists of the evil spirit. Contradiction and irrationality are the ways of the world. It is important to live through reason.

   When I was young, I was perplexed and thought about many trivial concerns. I was anxious about other’s opinions of me, and often imputed the responsibility for my mistakes to another person. I was hard on myself and my youth was nothing but affliction; however, I gradually acquired the strength to change this way of thinking:

Mistake? I don’t care how people evaluate me.

Shame? We don’t have time to make fun of others.

Inferiority? It is better than a person with overconfidence.

Dissatisfaction? Things never go the way we wish.

Suffering is not brought about by others. We are alone as we suffer. Try to form a habit of thinking correctly when cognition and feelings come across; it will lead you to emancipate yourself from a caught-in-suffering state. I was relieved from personal sufferings by Buddha. Feelings can be changed by the way in which you accept circumstances. When you feel agitated, contemplate your heart. Self-examination through questions such as, "Am I being caught in the same thinking pattern?" or "Is this way of thinking becoming a habit?" will lead you to realize the source of the disturbance. When we observe ourselves objectively, gloomy feelings seem to dispel. Feelings of inferiority or conceit will disappear, and all the tensions and anxiety will fade away. You will be freed from a biased impression. By changing your thoughts, you will start to see insignificance in most of your concerns. The cause of insecurity or rage is everywhere, often fueled by excessive fastidiousness or perfectionism. Such thoughts can cause great anguish.

The number of people having trouble with human relationships is increasing rapidly. The right reasons may be denied, and when one talks back, they may encounter bullying. This world is like a pond filled with filthy water. Muddiness is not good, but water gets impure when people gather. However, through the impurity, animosity, and discordance, all entangled with one another, something pure comes out of water. A pure bud of conscience blooms on remorseful dirt; forgiveness occurs from hatred; hope for peace arises from dispute; and righteousness emerges from evilness. Impurity, animosity, and discordance become the mediation to make us realize the truth. If we were able to believe it, suffering would diminish by half.

I frequently visit a friend of mine. He lost his parents and wife and is now alone. Additionally, he is undergoing the aftereffects of cerebral infarction. I recommend a nursing home for the aged, but he has resisted, saying that he is not good at living with a group of people. The other day, he whispered casually, “How will I die?” I replied, “Heart failure or cerebral hemorrhage cause a quick death. Sudden death is the best.” “I will become a skeleton soon,” he said. I laughed and said, “It is okay to become a skeleton or a mummy. I will stick your favorite rose in your mouth and hold a funeral for you, so don't worry.” He clapped his hands and burst out laughing. The anxiety of death increases as we age, but no one can choose how to die. If we have a heart with no shame, there is nothing to be afraid of. If we keep our heart clean and light, ascension to heaven will be quick.

Death is a phenomenon that occurs to the flesh, not to the essence. So why not stop worrying about what happens in the future, block the negative thinking process and start thinking how to live a meaningful life? Changing one’s thoughts results in indispensable restoration and eases one’s feelings. Human beings are the animals who brace themselves by singing a rooster's song and returning to the universe.

The End